The notion of time is essential to any storytelling medium. Whether it be literature, film, or video games, stories require some kind of temporal structure to give meaning and context to their events.
The way that time is experienced within queer narratives can differ greatly from traditional modes of storytelling. Queer narratives often disrupt linear chronology, question cause-and-effect relationships, and resist tidy resolutions. This paper will explore how queer narratives challenge conventional notions of temporality, causality, and narrative closure through interactive media.
Let's discuss temporality in queer narratives. In many cases, traditional narratives rely heavily on a chronological timeline to tell their story. The past is presented before the present, which leads into the future. Events are typically presented in an order that makes sense to readers or viewers. But this is not always the case for queer narratives.
In the interactive visual novel "Life Is Strange," players control Max Caulfield as she discovers her ability to rewind time. Throughout the game, Max must navigate various situations where she has to make decisions about whether or not to alter the course of time. As she does so, the game explores themes of identity, trauma, and loss. By breaking down the strict temporal progression of traditional storytelling, Life Is Strange challenges our understanding of how we perceive time itself.
Causality is another concept that is upended by queer narratives. Traditional narratives often revolve around a simple cause-and-effect relationship between characters and events. A character takes action, leading to some kind of consequence or outcome.
In queer narratives, this causal chain can be broken. Take, for instance, the role-playing video game "Undertale." In this game, the player controls a child who falls into the underworld and encounters various monsters along the way. Depending on the player's choices, they can either fight or spare these monsters. If spared, the game allows for a more nuanced exploration of the characters' motivations and emotions. The lack of clear-cut causes and effects creates a more complex world that encourages players to think critically about their own actions.
Queer narratives also challenge our expectations of narrative closure. Many traditional stories strive for tidy resolutions, wrapping things up neatly at the end. Queer narratives often leave more questions than answers. In the visual novel "The Pathless," players control a character who travels across a vast landscape, encountering different creatures and obstacles along the way. While there are moments of closure within the game, such as when the protagonist reaches certain landmarks, much of it remains open-ended. This encourages players to explore the story themselves, making their own meaning from the experience rather than being told what to think.
Interactive media has provided an opportunity for queer narratives to push against traditional modes of storytelling. By disrupting notions of temporality, causality, and narrative closure, these stories encourage us to reconsider our assumptions about how we understand time, cause and effect, and the nature of storytelling itself. As we continue to explore new forms of media and expression, I believe that queer narratives will continue to push boundaries and challenge conventional wisdom.
How do queer narratives in interactive media challenge conventional notions of temporality, causality, and narrative closure?
Queer narratives in interactive media have been challenging traditional concepts like linearity, causality, and narrative closure by exploring unconventional forms of storytelling such as nonlinear structures, alternate universes, and player agency, which often disrupt the prescribed pathways of heteronormativity. These alternative structures allow players to experience multiple perspectives and explore fluid identities that defy binary categorization.